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Marion city councilman: Strife over clerk of council hours 'behind us'

MARION — After nearly five months of debate, the job of Marion City Council clerk will stay the same.

Marion City Council took a final vote Monday on a measure that was first proposed in January and would have reduced the hours of the clerk of council, making the position a part-time job.

"Tonight, I hope we put this behind us," said Marion City Councilman Jason Schaber, R-3rd Ward.

The measure was first proposed as a way of curbing government excess. It touched off weeks of dissension among council members, some of whom argued the measure would restrict access to the clerk — and to council — and some of whom were angry about how the then-clerk had been elected.

The clerk of council is elected by the nine voting members of council and is responsible for preparing meeting agendas, recording meeting minutes and maintaining city ordinances and resolutions, among other things.

The political infighting ultimately led to the resignation of the then-newly elected clerk of council, six weeks into the job.

Tensions have since died down, and on Monday, city council members voted down the ordinance 1-8, with Marion City Councilwoman Leslie Cunningham, R-5th Ward, the only council member voting in favor of the ordinance to reduce the clerk's hours to a maximum of 25 hours per week.

Before taking the vote Monday, Schaber asked Clerk of Council Tarina Rose, who has been in the position for about three months, what hours she thought were necessary to carry out the job.

"I've kept a real open mind about it. At this point, I believe it's a 40-hour-a-week job," Rose said.

Schaber suggested that his fellow council members respect the new clerk's opinion.

"Let's move on, and I would say we should just vote this down and put it behind us," he said.